02/15/04

Jeremiah 17:5-10

1 Corinthians 15:12-20

Mark 10:13-16

Once upon a time, long, long ago, there was a great and mighty king. (i) The kingdom he ruled was so big, extended so far beyond what anyone had ever seen, that they called him the King of the Universe. One day he sent a royal proclamation to be read in all the villages and towns throughout the kingdom: "HEAR YE, HEAR YE! EVERYONE EVERYWHERE - HIS SUPREME MAJESTY DECREES: I WILL GIVE MY ENTIRE KINGDOM TO THE PERSON WHO PERFORMS THE GREATEST FEAT."

You can imagine the excitement the royal decree caused. It was rumored that the king had no heir, nobody to inherit his kingdom, and he was in search of one. How great the feat would have to be to inherit such a kingdom. What marvelous feats would be performed for the king before he would make his judgment.

When the day arrived for the competition to begin, people flocked to the king's castle from the four corners of the earth. Jugglers, acrobats, sorcerers, scholars, magicians, musicians - all were there in endless numbers and countless varieties. At last the king's emissary appeared at the balcony. He tapped his staff solemnly three times, the sound of trumpets filled the air, and everyone looked up at the balcony. Then the King of the Universe appeared and the crowd fell to utter silence. He sat down. His emissary tapped his staff and announced, "Let the competition begin."

For many long hours jugglers juggled, acrobats tumbled, and musicians played. Everyone who wished to compete was given the opportunity to do so. The king and his inner circle sat silently in the balcony observing carefully all that took place below. This went on for days until nearly everyone had performed. When the last contestant was finishing his feat, a murmuring began in the crowd. As it spread through the people, it gained intensity until it was no longer a whisper but a shout: "THE WIZARDS HAVE ARRIVED!" As the four wizards entered the courtyard, the crowds shouted and cheered in a wild frenzy. They had grown tired of watching similar feats over and over again, and yearned for something exciting and spectacular. Certainly the wizards would satisfy this craving, for no one could perform the marvelous deeds they could. The only real competition should have been between them, but the king had insisted that all perform who wanted to. So the wizards waited until the end as if to save the best for last.

It was the Wizard of the North who came forward first. You can see his picture and that of the others on the insert in the bulletin. He was a tall and stately man of regal bearing, someone who would make a fine heir to the king. He was dressed in a long flowing pitch black robe that covered his entire body. His hands and face were a pure, dazzling white. Slowly he walked through the assembly, stood before the balcony, and bowed as the crowds watched with reverential silence.

Without a word, the Wizard of the North reached into a pouch that hung at his waist and withdrew a handful of powder. With a long, deliberate gesture, he threw the powder into the air. It immediately began to sparkle in the sunlight

like a million brilliant diamonds. The people watched in awe as the powder rose steadily higher, progressively faster, until it became a comet of dazzling white light.

At first the people were filled with fear, covering their faces against the blinding flash. Then a voice cried out, "Look! Look around you everybody!" What they saw when they opened their eyes was very strange indeed. The world had become a stark contrast of black and white. The buildings that were light had suddenly become a brilliant, eye-squinting white. Those that were darker became dense black. Same was true for the animals - dark ones were black; light ones became white. Those people who were light-skinned became dazzling white; those with dark skin, a deep black. And the clothes they were wearing, the same. In truth, the world had become black and white.

The people, overwhelmed by such wizardry, shouted and applauded with delight. "Surely this must be the greatest feat," they said. No one had seen the likes of this. The Wizard of the North should win the prize. Seated in his balcony, the king remained silent. The wizard bowed obediently before him, and everything returned to the way it was before.

The Wizard of the South then stepped forward. He was an old man with white hair and a long white beard. Instead of a staff as a walking stick, he carried a sickle. He bowed slightly but reverently before the King of the Universe. Again the crowds became silent. Ever so slowly the wizard raised his right arm and with a bony finger pointed at the steeple clock. All eyes looked to clock. Very deliberately the wizard began to move his finger in a circle. As his finger moved so did the hands of the clock. Gradually the people noticed that with each rotation of his finger, an hour would pass on the steeple clock. His finger moved faster. The clouds began to accelerate. Animals and people began to move quickly. Even. the way .people .spoke .was .high .pitched .and peculiarly fast. The wizard moved his finger in a circle faster and faster. Time now began to fly by. In an instant the sun would rise, clouds streak across the sky; then it would rain and become dry in a batting of an eye; next the wind would blow and abate as quickly as a breath; then the sun would set only to rise again moments later and the same phenomenon would repeat itself.

When everything was moving as fast as time and imagination would allow, the wizard began to slow down the movement of his finger. The sun's trajectory, the cloud's progression, the earth's hectic pace began to diminish and become more normal. The people breathed easier; their voices became intelligible again. The wizard still stood in the courtyard, still pointing to the clock, still moving his finger slower and slower until it seemed that time had all but stopped. The sun was fixed in the sky and burned unbearably hot. Once again speech - was - incomprehensible - because - of - the - length - of - time - it - took - each - word - to - be - formed - and - spoken. The falling of a leaf took forever. Nothing changed, nothing seemed to move except the wizard's finger. Finally it started moving faster, and at last time returned to normal.

A deafening cheer rose from the crowd. Never had anyone experienced such a remarkable feat. The king must surely name the Wizard of the South as his heir. Seated in his balcony, the king remained silent. The Wizard of the South bowed to the king and left the courtyard. The competition was not yet over. The Wizard of the East was about to perform.

The wizard had no sooner entered the courtyard when the people began to cry out in amazement. As he walked, the wizard changed. He started walking straight and tall as a young, strong man. After several paces, his gait slowed, and before their eyes, he became a doddering old man. As he continued toward the balcony, he changed again into a beautiful young maiden whose steps became as graceful as a ballerina's. The ballerina twirled and jumped into the air becoming a young child as her feet touched the ground again. A few skips and some hops and the wizard stood before the king as a stately and mature man. The crowds were overwhelmed. They laughed and applauded each change the wizard made. If this was just his entrance, imagine his performance.

The wizard raised his arms to silence them. "Bring me some fruit," he ordered.

A vendor with a basket full of apples stepped forward. The wizard took the basket and place it on the ground. Then he raised his arms and waved his hands over the apples. When he finished, they were no longer apples, but big, green watermelons. The crowd responded with shouts of delight. The wizard ordered the vendor to sell his new fruit to the crowd, and as they ate the watermelons they began to laugh. The fruit, though it looked and felt like watermelons, tasted just like apples. The people were delighted.

The commotion of the crowd caused a dog to start barking with excitement. "Bring the dog here," said the wizard. A young boy led the reluctant barking dog by the collar to where the wizard stood. The wizard waved his arms over the frightened animal, and in an instant, in place of the dog, there stood a cat with the exact same color and markings as the dog, but still, obviously, a cat. The crowd was silent. The animal, confused by the change and sudden silence, opened its mouth in protest. But instead of meowing as one would expect, the cat began to bark. At first the people were startled, then they became hysterical with laughter at the sight of a cat barking and growling.

The boy who had brought the dog just stood in amazement. The wizard waved his arms over the boy, and presto, the boy became a beautiful young maiden, the most beautiful woman the kingdom had ever seen. The boy-made-maiden looked at his dog-made-cat and called out to him in a strong masculine voice. The wizard raised his arms over the scene and waved them solemnly. The maiden changed back into a boy, the cat changed back into a barking dog, and the people were holding apples and not watermelons. Thunderous applause echoed throughout the castle walls. Never had the world seen such a feat. The Wizard of the East would win the throne. The king remained silent. The contest was not over. The wizard bowed and walked away.

The Wizard of the West now entered the courtyard, wearing a peculiar robe covered with mirrors. Hundreds of mirrors of different shapes and sizes hung down in front and cascaded down his back. They were even on his shoes and on his wizard's hat. As he walked the mirrors tinkled against one another as a wind chime does in the breeze. As he bowed before the King of the Universe, it seemed as if every person in the courtyard was reflected in his mirrors. He turned to the hushed crowd.

"You have seen great feats performed before you. Now I shall perform the greatest of them all," he said in a solemn voice. "Ask of me anything!" The people were startled. They had seen so many marvelous feats by the other wizards, that they couldn't think of their own needs and desires. As they began to ponder his words, they began to think of the spectacular, of the astounding things they could ask him to do. A voice cried out, "Make us fly." Unlike the other wizards, without any hesitation or ceremony, he clapped his hands and announced, "You can fly!" Cautiously, suspiciously, they listened, but no one moved. "You can fly," he said matter-of-factly. Finally, someone began to beat his arms in the air, like a bird with wings, testing to see if the wizard spoke the truth. In a moment he was in the air flying. Others started flapping their arms, and soon everyone was in the air, young and old, flying and soaring above the castle courtyard. Only the wizard remained on the ground. All the flying people were reflected in his countless mirrors.

When the excitement of their flying had passed, they returned to the courtyard to see what other marvelous things the Wizard of the West would do for them. Someone yelled, "Let there be music and dancing." "So be it," said the wizard as he clapped his hands. All kinds of musical instruments appeared. Curiously the people picked them up and began to play. Flutes, harps, oboes, horns, clarinets, trumpets, violins, pianos; instruments of every kind. Without ever having had a lesson the people began to play - sort of like in "The Music Man." Happy, beautiful music filled the air while people laughed and danced for hours.

"We are hungry now; we want food." "As you wish," said the wizard with a clap. Suddenly there before them were large banquet tables covered with every kind of food imaginable. Some people ate and drank, others danced, others made music, and others flew in the sky. All of this was reflected in the wizard's mirrors. Finally, people began asking for possessions for themselves. "Give me jewels," and at once they had jewels. "Give me a farm," and there in the courtyard was a farm. "Give me horses." "Give me cows." "Give me pigs." "Give me money," and the courtyard began to fill with all the growing demands of the people. On and on they asked as the courtyard filled to overflowing with houses, carriages, clothes, animals, and an endless variety of things. People could no longer move because there were so many things, so much congestion.

In the midst of the tables filled with goodies, in the midst of the yard filled with whining and bleating animals, a young man stood, calling loudly t make himself heard above the din of the crowd. He tried pushing his way forward to where the wizard was, but the crowds would not let him pass, for they still had needs that they shouted to the wizard. The man tried harder to move forward, but all his attempts were blocked. When he began to kick over the tables to make headway, he infuriated many in the crowd. After all, these were their gifts that the wizard had given them. He had no right to destroy them. In a fury they turned on him and struck him down. The degree of their own violence surprised them. The incident took but a moment; it was unpleasant, but then over. The people turned back to the wizard, continuing to shout their requests.

The King's emissary rose and walked to the edge of the balcony. He solemnly tapped three times with his staff and all became quiet. The King rose from his throne and looked down at the courtyard below him. The contest was over. His voice was calm but powerful as he addressed the people. "Who, say you, performed the greatest feat?" "The Wizard of the West," they shouted in reply. How quickly they'd forgotten the others. It was unanimous. The Wizard of the West would be the heir and inherit the kingdom.

"Not the Wizard of the West," announced the King to the crowd's bewilderment. They felt that he certainly had performed the greatest feats. The King of the Universe continued, "The Wizard of the West gave the people everything they wanted, everything they asked for. Truly that was great, but he took the struggle out of life, and by so doing, took the meaning out of life. "No, not the Wizard of the West."

There was a quiet pause in the crowd as they gathered their recollections. "The Wizard of the East," they clamored. Since he was the next to the last, he was the next remembered. "Nor the Wizard of the East," replied the King. "True, his feats were marvelous, but he made things change. He made things appear to be what they were not. He took the truth out of life."

The silence lasted longer. Some voices cried out, "The Wizard of the South." "Not the Wizard of the South either. He could control time. But, when he made time pass quickly, the young were happy but the old were sad. When the time moved slowly, the young were sad and the old happy. He stole the meaning of time from life."

From those who could still remember the suggestion came, "The Wizard of the North." "Not the Wizard of the North. He made the world and everything in it black and white. He took the color out of life, the beauty out of life. Not the Wizard of the North." The people now were silenced into total bewilderment. Who then performed the greatest feat? Surely no one had done anything to equal what the wizards had done. Slowly, the people began to mumble and murmur. It was all a big trick. The King wasn't going to give away his kingdom. Their anger grew like the tide, rising higher and higher. "What greater feat can anyone do than those performed by our wizards? There can be no greater feat," they shouted. The King's emissary struck his staff on the balcony floor and the crowd became silent. "There was one among you," the King said solemnly, "who rose from the dead." The news staggered the crowd. It was incredible. Rise from the dead? Impossible! No one had died during the contest. Or hadn't they noticed? "Did anyone die?" they asked among themselves. The question was repeated until those near the tables heard it.

Embarrassed and ashamed, they remembered the struggle with the young man. They apologized for striking him down, claiming that in the confusion, they did not know what they were doing.

"Where is he now?" they asked. To everyone's amazement he was no longer there. Try as they might they could not find him anywhere. They looked and looked ... but he was gone. The King repeated his statement: "There was one among you who rose from the dead. To him belongs my entire kingdom. I hereby further decree that anyone who finds him will share the kingdom with him forever." Having said this, the King left the balcony and returned to his castle.

The people in the courtyard hurried over to where the young man had been. Some of his friends had gathered there also. "What does he look like? they asked. "How will we recognize him?" (One artist thinks he may have looked like the drawing on the insert in the bulletin. It shows a young man with little children. Once, long ago Jesus had said, "It is to such as these [children] that the kingdom of God belongs.") Well, slowly the people left the courtyard through the castle gates and returned to their homes, telling everyone they met of the greatest feat, about the one who rose from the dead and who shares his kingdom with all who follow him. And we can tell others the same story also, can't we? Amen.

The Pilgrim Church of Duxbury

Rev. Kenneth C. Landall

i John Aurelio, "Story Sunday," based upon his story with same title as sermon.